Stationing of AirCare 1 at airport results in quicker response times

Friday

Mar 1, 2013 at 4:52 PM

The late 2010 move of AirCare 1 from Winston-Salem to the Davidson County Airport has resulted in quicker response times in the county.

BY DARRICK IGNASIAKThe Dispatch

The late 2010 move of AirCare 1, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's helicopter, from Winston-Salem to the Davidson County Airport has resulted in quicker response times in the county, ultimately leading to the saving of lives.Emergency officials and employees who man the helicopter report WFBMC's decision to agree to a five-year lease agreement with the county has paid off. Davidson County government purchased the hangar for $160,000 in 2010. In October 2010, Davidson County commissioners reached the agreement with the hospital to house the $4.5 million helicopter at the hangar. With the move, the county gained $28,000 in annual property taxes from the helicopter and an additional $2,175 in monthly rent from the hangar.Residents reaped the benefits of response times being cut in half in some parts of the county. Before the move, AirCare 1 had previously been dispatched from WFBMC in Winston-Salem. AirCare 1 primarily services Davidson and its surrounding counties. WFBMC also has medical helicopters in Elkin (where AirCare 2 is located) and in Spencer, Va. (where AirCare 3 is located).Time is essential in saving livesJosh Roland is a paramedic for AirCare 1 and is employed through Forsyth County Emergency Medical Services. He is just one of the paramedics from Forsyth County who have been assigned to the medical helicopter. Roland has been a paramedic with AirCare 1 for about a year.From Winston-Salem to various areas in Davidson County, it took AirCare between 15 and 25 minutes to reach a call, the paramedic said. The move, Roland continued, has saved between 10 and 20 minutes depending on where AirCare is going in the county."That's a long time," Roland said. "Ten minutes is a long time, especially if somebody's involved in an accident and they need to get back to the hospital. … Getting them quicker to a hospital like Baptist where they can get the definitive care, operating room and that kind of thing, it's definitely what they need quickly.One recent wreck on Interstate 85 South at mile marker 92 is an example of how the move of AirCare 1 from Winston-Salem to the Davidson County Airport has been a good one. Roland and his crew were able to make it to the scene of the wreck quickly and were able to transport the man to Baptist within 12 minutes after he was extricated from his vehicle."If that would have been a ground transport for the units in Davidson County, that would have taken upwards of half an hour to get up there," Roland said.Time is essential for patients to survive, the paramedic said."A lot of the studies we read nowadays, they deem it the golden hour for trauma, so getting them to that care within the hour … is definitely very beneficial to the patient.Maj. Larry James of Davidson County Emergency Services also sees the benefits of AirCare 1."It has decreased the amount of time it takes us to get the helicopter to the scene versus when they were coming out of Baptist," James said of AirCare 1. "We have actually had accidents where we have had the helicopter on the scene just a few minutes after the ambulance. It has much improved the transportation of critical trauma patients to the hospital, getting them to the trauma center in a timely fashion."Ready at a minute's noticeA crew made up of a paramedic, nurse and pilot who work 12-hour shifts are on duty 24 hours, seven days a week at the Davidson County Airport. The nurses are employed through WFBMC and the pilots through Denver-based Air Methods."Many times when they get the calls in the (Davidson County 911 Center), they will put us on standby," said Dawn Parsons, a WFBMC nurse assigned to AirCare. "Whenever they have a first responder or medic on the scene, they will make the decision to launch."Roland said some telecommunicators who hear what they believe may warrant a medical helicopter will put AirCare on standby."It's kind of a discussion, but most of the time it's pretty clear on whether you need the helicopter," Roland said, adding that AirCare responds to traumatic scenes like shootings, stabbings and fires in addition to bad wrecks.Chief Chris Hedrick of the Silver Valley Volunteer Fire Department said there is always a good chance that someone is going to be airlifted to WFBMC anytime there is a head-on collision or a person has been ejected from a vehicle."Nine times out of 10 we are going to airlift (if a patient has been ejected)," Hedrick said. "But you have to have them stable for AirCare to take them."Hedrick said it's wonderful that AirCare is stationed in Davidson County."As soon as we call, they are on their toes," he said. "It doesn't have to be a traffic accident. It can be a farm accident."Being creative with landing the helicopterGeorge Jake has been flying helicopters for 18 years, 10 of which were with the N.C. Highway Patrol. He has been a pilot with AirCare for five years. Jake said he's landed medical helicopters on ball fields and on highways."I've gone in some pretty tight places where rotor blades were 20 feet from an obstacle on each end," Jake said. "Sometimes we have to do what we have to do because there are no other options."Jake said AirCare has given classes for the fire departments on how to help them set up landing zones. The pilot said fire departments are instructed to mark anything that would be an obstacle or obstruction for the helicopter, such as wires. Fire officials do this by placing a vehicle underneath wires. Jake said AirCare also has pre-designated landing zones."We try to keep vehicles at least 50 feet from the rotor system because those rotor blades are probably $50,000 to $100,000 apiece," Jake said.Jake said AirCare does not fly in thunderstorms or icy conditions.Hedrick said he's had AirCare land on highways and in fields. In front of the Silver Valley Volunteer Fire Department on N.C. Highway 109 is one of the common locations for AirCare to land, the chief said."You've got to know about the power lines, antennas, trees, any obstacles," Hedrick said. "We are their eyes."Not a cheap rideThe cost for being transported by AirCare can range between $20,000 and $25,000, Jake said. He said the majority of insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid will pay for the helicopter transport. Jake said the cost of AirCare can also depend on the medications being used.Roland said the medical helicopter has everything that can be found in a standard ambulance. He said the chopper also is equipped with a ventilator and IVs. Roland said there is a greater selection of medications on a medical helicopter."We definitely have the capabilities of the critical care equipment to get the job done," Roland said.Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.

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